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Weird Al Yankovic

Alfred Matthew Yankovic, better known as "Weird Al" has produced parodies of songs by Michael Jackson, Foo Fighters, Coolio, Beck and countless other artists. Since his first-aired comedy song in 1976, he has sold more than 12 million albums. recorded more than 150 parody and original songs and performed over 1,000 live shows. He has won three Grammy Awards among nine nominations. He even went on to direct for other artists including Ben Folds, Hanson and the Black Crowes.

Yankovic wrote and starred in the film, UHF, and television show, The Weird Al Show. This year, he was extensively featured in the sixth season episode of 30 Rock and just released his memoir called "Weird Al: The Book." For more information on Al, you can follow him on Twitter @alyankovic. In this interview, Al talks about how he got his name, his favorite parody, his best career advice, and more.

How did you originally come up with the name "Weird Al" and what got you into making music parodies?

I’m pretty sure that nickname was given to me by someone in the dorms during my freshman year in college – but I took it on professionally when I starting doing a shift on the campus radio station the following year. I did “The Weird Al Show” on KCPR every Saturday night. And I had being doing song parodies since I was a small child – I think most kids go through that phase, and I guess I’m still going through it.

Out of all of your songs, which are you most proud of and why?

That’s a tough question to answer honestly, but I generally say “White & Nerdy” – not only because it’s my biggest-selling single to date, but also because I suppose it’s my most autobiographical. I didn’t have to do a whole lot of extra research to learn about nerd culture.

How have you been able to sustain your career all this time? What do you do to keep yourself relevant?

It’s nothing premeditated or calculated – I just do what I do, and thankfully people haven’t gotten completely sick of me yet. I think a big part of my success is that I surround myself with very talented people, and we all take a lot of pride in our work, even though it’s ostensibly very silly stuff.

Are you ever confronted by the artists you parody? What feedback do you get?

I always get permission from the artists beforehand, so it’s never weird or confrontational – they’re already in on the joke. Any feedback I get after the fact is always very positive and complimentary – many artists are blown away by how accurately my band is able to emulate their sound.

What are your top three career advice tips for young people?

1. Pick a career that you love – as long as you’re making a living doing something you enjoy, you’re a success as far as I’m concerned.

2. Apply yourself and be tenacious – good old-fashioned hard work is usually the best formula for getting ahead.

3. Remember to floss regularly. Hey, wouldn’t hurt.

Dan Schawbel is a Gen Y career expert and the founder of Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting company. He is also the #1 international bestselling author of Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future and was named to the Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 list in 2010. Subscribe to my updates: Facebook.com/DanSchawbel.